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F. MORO. Apparatus for'Oasting Ingots of Uniform Weight.

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Apparatusfor Casting Ingots of Uniform. Weight;

.No. 231,838. Patented Aug. 31,1880.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Orrreet.

APPARATUS FOR CASTING INGOTS OF UNIFORM WEIGHT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 231,838, dated August31, 1880,

Application filed June 17, 1880. (No model.) Patented in Austria August16, 1879.

10 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FERDINAND Mono, a citizenof Austria, residing at Kladno, in the Kingdom of Bohemia and Empire ofAustria, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Scales forWeighing Ingots, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to aweighing apparatus for determining theweights of ingots, the same being adapted to be placed under a mold, andto raise the mold by means of hydraulic pressure or otherwise, wherebythe mold is caused to rest on the weighing apparatus and thereby act onthe same, so that the weight of said mold and its contents can beascertained.

This invention is illustrated in the accompanyin g drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a front view of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is an end view,

partly in section. Fig. 3 is a plan view. Fig. Ashows the mold restingon the scales. Fig. 5 shows the arrangement of lever-arms. Fig.

6 is a section in the plane a: m, Fig. 5.

Similar lettersindicate correspondin g parts.

The proceeding generally employed to produce ingots from molten steel oriron, for rails, axles, sheet-iron, and the like, consists in pouringthe molten metal, either directly from the furnace or from a caldron,into the molds up to a certain height indicated by a mark. According tothis proceeding the weight of the ingots must vary greatly, since theexact determination of the volume of the molds and the fixing of a markare uncertain on account of the different dimensions of cross-section ofthe molds also, because the temperature of the metal to be pouredvaries. Consequently the expansion and contraction vary. The exactfilling of the molds up to a mark placed on the inside is alsodifficult, and in many cases, where the molten metal forms bubbles, itis impossible to keep within this mark.

Experience shows that ingots cast in the old manner vary in weight, sothat it has been necessary to make ingots which are intended forfinished articles of a certain desired weight originally much heavierthan would be necessary for further working, thus causing a great wasteof material in order to avoid the risk of having the finished ware belowthe proper weight or dimensions.

To insure a rational and correct proceeding it has been necessary tointroduce an improvement which alters the old manner so as to insure theproduction of ingots of exactly the desired weight, and thus avoid theabove'mentioned disadvantages.

The proceeding invented by me is an improvement in this direction; andit consists in testing every mold into which molten steel or iron is tobe cast by means of a weighing apparatus which indicates with certaintywhen any desired weight of metal has run into the mold, so that by meansof this apparatus ingots of exactly the desired weight may be obtained.This weighing apparatus is connected with the mold, before or duringcasting, in such manner that during the casting the mold only rests uponthe apparatus, which at the proper instant indicates the metal run intothe mold. Immediately after finishing one mold the apparatus is removedand brought underneath another mold. Also, in case of any danger-such asthe melting through of the bottom of a mold or of the caldron, or theleaking of the latter, and the likethe apparatus must be removedimmediately,'as in such cases it would be destroyed by the hot metalflowing upon it.

A spattering around of the metal is of little or no consequence, as theapparatus, as well as the man attending, can be protected by a shield.Any weighingarrangement may serve the purpose-for instance, hydrauliccylinders in connection with apressure-gage, o: a common lever-balancewhich by some scale or mark will indicate the weight of the metal pouredin, or the pressure thereof, so that the same may be read off. This newproceeding to produce ingots having exactly a desired weight, isprincipally of importance for the production of ingots from molten steelor iron, (Bessemer process and Siemens-Martin process,') and, of course,the apparatus necessary to my proceeding must, in detail, be soconstructed as to correspond as nearly as possible to the respectiveexisting arrangements. The best suited for this purpose may be theweighing apparatus described below and shown in the annexed drawings.

The essential features of the scale constructed for this purpose are thefollowing:

weight of laws, as before mentioned.

'is moved forward when itis intended to weigh an ingot and withdrawnafter the weighin g has taken place, or in case of danger for the appa-Second, the scale-beams may be lifted by a mechanism provided therefor.By means thereof the mold is lifted vertically and rests upon thescale-beams only, which catch the mold either on the bottom or sides.

Third, in case the molds are permanently placed in a pit the wholeweighing apparatus is movable upon a track, so that it can be run up infront of each mold, and the entering of the scale-beam may besuccessively and easily accomplished while casting.

Fourth, the molds stand, as usual, upon the bottom plates, K, and theseupon supports U, which are screwed onto a ground-plate, J, common toseveral molds. In this manner there is sufficient room left below themolds to introduce the weighing apparatus. This consists of alever-balance whose frameA rests on four plungers sliding in fourhydraulic cylinders, B. The latter are fastened upon theplate G, whichresembles a shovel, the handle or support of which is a toothed rackguided in a frame, D, and can be moved back and forward by a pinion, E,actuated by a handle, b. On the back of this rack are screwed orotherwise fastened the standard F for the balance and a small hydraulicpump, G, operated by a handle, 0. The latter is connected with thebefore-mentioned four small cylinders B by means of a pipe, H, of copperor other fit material. The other parts of the balance are about the sameas those of a common lever-balance, and therefore need no furtherexplanation.

The weighing is done in the following manner: The molds in Bessemerworks generally stand in a circle described by the outlet orpouring-hole of the caldron; but in Martin works they generally stand ina straight line, as the caldron does not ban gin aerane, butis run alongon a truck. The apparatus is for both cases the same-in the first itmoves on a circular track, in the latter on a straight track.

During the filling the balance is in succession brought in front of themolds, passed underneath by means of the rack and pinion,

' whereby the slanting face of the shovel G is caused to rest againstthe slanting bottom plate, J. With a few strokes of the pump thebalance, together with the mold, is raised, when the conical shoulder onthe bottom K of the mold is easily lifted ed the stand or support, Fig.4E. The weight of the empty molds, together with their plates,is nownoted in succession. This preliminary weighing might be saved by makingall molds and plates of the same weight; but the former method is to bepreferred on account of simplicity.

After weighing the valve on the pump is opened and the pressure-waterlet out, the balance withdrawn and moved on to the next mold, and so oncontinuously. To the weight thus noted the desired weight of the ingotto be cast is now added, the sliding weight a on the scale-beam (l fixedupon the corresponding total weight, and the metal poured into the molduntil the beam rises.

The withdrawing and moving forward of the weighing apparatus for thepurpose mentioned may, instead of by rack and pinion, also be done byhydraulic pressure. The pressurewater for the hydraulic cylinders may beled through fixed pipes, or, where the apparatus is movable, throughflexible tubes.

The division of the pressure-water may be accomplished by slides orvalves. Where it is not convenient to use hydraulic pressure for raisingthe apparatus any suitable lever arrangement may be substituted withoutany alteration in the principle of the proceeding.

The application of a weighing apparatus of this kind is somewhatdifferent when the molds are stationary-in the pit, or when they areplaced upon cars upon which they may be moved. In the first case theweighing apparatus must be movable, as shown in the drawin gs, so thatthe whole apparatus can be moved from one mold to the other. This movingmay be done by means of power or otherwise.

The weighing apparatus may be stationary, but it is in general moreadvantageous to have it movable.

When the shovel O has been passed underneath the mold by means of thepinion E its bottom or under part rests firmly upon the ground-plate J.When now the pump G is set in operation it forces water through thetubes H, Fig. 3, into the cylinder in which slide the pistons orplungers B, forcing the same up. The plungers B, in rising, carry up thebrackets g 1). 0n the bracket g rests the knife-edge h, forming thefulcrum for the lever 17, whose other end is connected by means of a rodto the scale-beam d swinging on the knifeedge j, Fig. 1.

The bracket 1) forms the bearings for the knife-edges 7., on which swingthe levers l. The other ends of the levers Zrest on knifeedges on,fastened to the lever i.

The platform A rests on the knife-edges n and 0. The knife-edges a arefastened to the lever 2', and the knife-edges 0 are attached to thelevers Z. From this it will be readily seen that when the pistons B areforced up they raise the brackets g p, and with them the levers i and land the platform A. Any weight which is caused to rest on the platform Atends to make the lever 2'. swing downward about the knife-edge h, thusoperating the scalebeams d.

Of course the platform A must rest entirely on the knife-edges n 0, asotherwise the true weight of the object resting on the platform wouldnot be indicated by the scale-beam d. The advantage of this arrangementis that the weighing apparatus raises the mold of its supports asufficient distance to enable the same to be weighed, while in formerdevices the molds had to be lifted onto the scales, which molds, beingsometimes very hot, are diflicult of handling.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. As a means for determining the weight of ingots cast in a mold, thecombination, with the movable scale-platform A, of the pillars orplungers B, supporting the brackets which afford bearings for theplatform-levers, mechanism arranged to raise and lower said platform andits supports, the scale-beam d for indicating the weight of the ingots,and the lever-arms Z Z, serving to connect the platform FERDINAND MORO.

substantially as shown Witnesses CARL FIZZOR, RICHARD FORRSMANN.

